Alternating between build and install commands gets into contradictory state

[andreasabel]

Cabal/cabal-install version 3.5.0.0 (recent development version).
I experimented a bit with how well v2-cabal is caching compilation when alternating between

• test
• build
• install
• install --lib

Alternating these got me to a point where cabal "Could not resolve dependencies".

The project is a still private repo (hash for me: 8000c81d4ce126ddb2a4a756a0d35ead041bfc8e).
If this isn't a duplicate issue and someone wants to investigate, please contact me for the code.

The cabal file contains a library, an executable and a test-suite.

I played the sequence of cabal v2-commands:

1. test: builds library and test-suite
2. build: need build only executable
3. install: from scratch
4. build: (up-to-date)
5. install --lib: from scratch
6. install: (up-to-date)
7. build: (up-to-date)
8. install --lib: configure failure

1. Test

$ cabal test
Resolving dependencies...
Build profile: -w ghc-8.10.3 -O1
In order, the following will be built (use -v for more details):
 - BNFC3-3.0 (lib) (file src/BNFC/Check/Monad.hs changed)
 - BNFC3-3.0 (test:bnfc3-test) (dependency rebuilt)
Preprocessing library for BNFC3-3.0..
Building library for BNFC3-3.0..
[19 of 24] Compiling BNFC.Check.Monad ( src/BNFC/Check/Monad.hs, /Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/build/x86_64-osx/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0/build/BNFC/Check/Monad.o, /Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/build/x86_64-osx/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0/build/BNFC/Check/Monad.dyn_o )
...
[24 of 24] Compiling BNFC.Main        ( src/BNFC/Main.hs, /Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/build/x86_64-osx/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0/build/BNFC/Main.o, /Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/build/x86_64-osx/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0/build/BNFC/Main.dyn_o ) [BNFC.Check.Run changed]
Preprocessing test suite 'bnfc3-test' for BNFC3-3.0..
Building test suite 'bnfc3-test' for BNFC3-3.0..
[2 of 2] Compiling Main             ( test/Main.hs, /Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/build/x86_64-osx/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0/t/bnfc3-test/build/bnfc3-test/bnfc3-test-tmp/Main.o )
Linking /Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/build/x86_64-osx/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0/t/bnfc3-test/build/bnfc3-test/bnfc3-test ...
Running 1 test suites...
Test suite bnfc3-test: RUNNING...
Test suite bnfc3-test: PASS
Test suite logged to:
/Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/build/x86_64-osx/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0/t/bnfc3-test/test/BNFC3-3.0-bnfc3-test.log
1 of 1 test suites (1 of 1 test cases) passed.

2. Build

Only needs to build executable.

$ cabal build
Build profile: -w ghc-8.10.3 -O1
In order, the following will be built (use -v for more details):
 - BNFC3-3.0 (exe:bnfc3) (file /Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/build/x86_64-osx/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0/cache/build changed)
Preprocessing executable 'bnfc3' for BNFC3-3.0..
Building executable 'bnfc3' for BNFC3-3.0..
Linking /Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/build/x86_64-osx/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0/x/bnfc3/build/bnfc3/bnfc3 ...

3. Install

Builds library and executable from scratch.

$ cabal install
Wrote tarball sdist to
/Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/sdist/BNFC3-3.0.tar.gz
Resolving dependencies...
Build profile: -w ghc-8.10.3 -O1
In order, the following will be built (use -v for more details):
 - BNFC3-3.0 (lib) (requires build)
 - BNFC3-3.0 (exe:bnfc3) (requires build)
Configuring library for BNFC3-3.0..
Preprocessing library for BNFC3-3.0..
Building library for BNFC3-3.0..
[ 1 of 24] Compiling BNFC.Abs         ( src/BNFC/Abs.hs, dist/build/BNFC/Abs.o, dist/build/BNFC/Abs.dyn_o )
...
[24 of 24] Compiling BNFC.Main        ( src/BNFC/Main.hs, dist/build/BNFC/Main.o, dist/build/BNFC/Main.dyn_o )
Installing library in /Users/abel/.cabal/store/ghc-8.10.3/incoming/new-86362/Users/abel/.cabal/store/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0-44eb9918/lib
Configuring executable 'bnfc3' for BNFC3-3.0..
Warning: The package has an extraneous version range for a dependency on an
internal library: BNFC3 >=0 && ==3.0, BNFC3 >=0 && ==3.0. This version range
includes the current package but isn't needed as the current package's library
will always be used.
Preprocessing executable 'bnfc3' for BNFC3-3.0..
Building executable 'bnfc3' for BNFC3-3.0..
[1 of 1] Compiling Main             ( main/Main.hs, dist/build/bnfc3/bnfc3-tmp/Main.o )
Linking dist/build/bnfc3/bnfc3 ...
Installing executable bnfc3 in /Users/abel/.cabal/store/ghc-8.10.3/incoming/new-86362/Users/abel/.cabal/store/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0-7d596a8b/bin
Warning: The directory
/Users/abel/.cabal/store/ghc-8.10.3/incoming/new-86362/Users/abel/.cabal/store/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0-7d596a8b/bin
is not in the system search path.
Copying 'bnfc3' to '/Users/abel/.cabal/bin/bnfc3'

4. Build (up to date)

$ cabal build
Resolving dependencies...
Up to date

5. Install --lib

Builds library from scratch.

$ cabal install --lib
Wrote tarball sdist to
/Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/sdist/BNFC3-3.0.tar.gz
Resolving dependencies...
Build profile: -w ghc-8.10.3 -O1
In order, the following will be built (use -v for more details):
 - BNFC3-3.0 (lib) (requires build)
Configuring library for BNFC3-3.0..
Preprocessing library for BNFC3-3.0..
Building library for BNFC3-3.0..
[ 1 of 24] Compiling BNFC.Abs         ( src/BNFC/Abs.hs, dist/build/BNFC/Abs.o, dist/build/BNFC/Abs.dyn_o )
...
[24 of 24] Compiling BNFC.Main        ( src/BNFC/Main.hs, dist/build/BNFC/Main.o, dist/build/BNFC/Main.dyn_o )
Installing library in /Users/abel/.cabal/store/ghc-8.10.3/incoming/new-86839/Users/abel/.cabal/store/ghc-8.10.3/BNFC3-3.0-8123627e/lib

6. Install (up-to-date)

$ cabal install 
Wrote tarball sdist to
/Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/sdist/BNFC3-3.0.tar.gz
Resolving dependencies...
Up to date
Copying 'bnfc3' to '/Users/abel/.cabal/bin/bnfc3'

7. Build (up-to-date)

$ cabal build
Resolving dependencies...
Up to date

8. Install --lib (cannot configure)

$ cabal install --lib
Wrote tarball sdist to
/Users/abel/project/open-source/bnfc-3/dist-newstyle/sdist/BNFC3-3.0.tar.gz
Resolving dependencies...
cabal: Could not resolve dependencies:
[__0] trying: binary-0.8.8.0/installed-0.8.8.0 (user goal)
[__1] next goal: containers (user goal)
[__1] rejecting: containers-0.6.4.1 (conflict: binary =>
containers==0.6.2.1/installed-0.6.2.1)
[__1] rejecting: containers-0.6.3.1, containers-0.6.2.1/installed-0.6.2.1,
containers-0.6.2.1, containers-0.6.1.1, containers-0.6.0.1,
containers-0.5.11.0, containers-0.5.10.2, containers-0.5.10.1,
containers-0.5.9.2, containers-0.5.8.2, containers-0.5.7.1,
containers-0.5.7.0, containers-0.5.6.3, containers-0.5.6.2,
containers-0.5.6.1, containers-0.5.6.0, containers-0.5.5.1,
containers-0.5.5.0, containers-0.5.4.0, containers-0.5.3.1,
containers-0.5.3.0, containers-0.5.2.1, containers-0.5.2.0,
containers-0.5.1.0, containers-0.5.0.0, containers-0.4.2.1,
containers-0.4.2.0, containers-0.4.1.0, containers-0.4.0.0,
containers-0.3.0.0, containers-0.2.0.1, containers-0.2.0.0,
containers-0.1.0.1, containers-0.1.0.0, containers-0.5.9.1, containers-0.5.8.1
(constraint from user target requires ==0.6.4.1)
[__1] fail (backjumping, conflict set: binary, containers)
After searching the rest of the dependency tree exhaustively, these were the
goals I've had most trouble fulfilling: binary, containers, ghc

[fgaz]

Probably a duplicate of #5559, #6391, #6394...

cabal install --lib is problematic, there are plans to replace it: #6481 (feedback is welcome)

here's a prototype of what it could look like: https://github.com/phadej/cabal-extras/tree/master/cabal-env I've been using it for some time myself and it solves every issue I have with install --lib

[andreasabel]

Thanks @fgaz. Indeed #6394 matches my description, but I didn't find it when searching on the issue tracker...

I was playing with cabal install --lib since I wanted to understand if I could use this as drop-in replacement for cabal v1-install. But this is better discussed at #6478.

[fgaz]

Closing as duplicate of the above